Peace - a PJO angst one shot

Peace

TW: SUICIDE 

Percy stood at the top of Half-Blood Hill, staring at the scenery around him. He faced away from the camp, determined to not look at his home. He breathed deeply. In and out. In and out. 

Peace.

That's what Percy wanted. Peace. A stop from the endless pain of his life. 

It would be nice. To get away from the sorrow that hounded him every second of every day.

He uncapped Riptide, and stared at its blade. His reflection looked back at him - gaunt, hollow, and worthless. Percy didn't like what he saw. Was anything about him good?

Percy didn't think so. Nothing he did truly mattered, in the end. There would always be another hero. Another demigod. Another world ending prophecy to haunt his dreams. 

He was replaceable. And that was just fine with Percy.

Who said he ever wanted to be a half-blood anyways?

Only a few minutes ago, Percy had visited Annabeth. His Wise Girl. Deep down, he knew that what he was about to do would hurt Annabeth beyond belief. But he pushed that feeling down, far into his soul where nobody could reach. Her golden blonde hair was beautiful, along with the rest of her, but Percy couldn't bring himself to stop his thoughts. He had convinced himself that she could go on without him. That everyone could go on without him. One less impulsive kid. One less problem.

One less Perseus Jackson. 

It won't be a big deal, he told himself. It won't.

He thought to his parents and little sister, waiting at their apartment for a son that would never come home. It made him sad, but not sad enough to stop. Maybe it was selfish, to end the pain. Maybe it was. But Percy didn't care. Didn't he deserve to be selfish, after everything he had been put through?

He thought to the seven, plus all his friends. They would mourn him. But they would get through it. Just like they had when... Jason.

Jason was waiting for him. Beckendorf. Silena. Bianca. Zoë. Percy's thoughts raced, thinking about all the dead he had left behind. It was time to apologize to them.

He rested his hand against Thalia's pine, feeling its rough bark underneath his fingertips. He looked at the glittering Golden Fleece, and Peleus the dragon, snoring softly.

The dragon didn't know what the young demigod, standing only inches away, was fully prepared to do. No one did.

No one knew the true pain that filled Percy's eyes every waking moment. The burden, weighing his shoulders down like a ton of unmovable bricks. Not even his girlfriend truly understood what was going on behind Percy's false smiling face. She may have seen him acting... stranger than usual, and she had talked to him about it. Percy claimed he was fine. Just tired. 

What a lie that was. 

It had hit him last night. The opportunity to end the pain was staring him right in the face. An immense sense of calm had run over him, like a current from his father's domain. He could finally retire. For good.

He could die. 

He lifted the blade of his sword, focused only on the action. He positioned it right against his heart, a surely mortal wound. It would be over quickly. 

Then he could be at peace. 

He closed his eyes, and plunged the sword into his chest, before he heard the oh-so-familiar voice of the most beautiful girl in the world. 

"Percy... stop! Wait!" Annabeth screamed, panic rising into her voice. 

Percy didn't turn around. He couldn't. The tip of blade poked through his back, and Percy fell to his knees. Everything felt slow. And painful. Blood gushed from his wound, never ending. 

Percy fell sideways, his head landing on the grass with a thunk. Before he knew it, the world dissolved around him. 

"Peace," was the last whispered word the great hero, Perseus Jackson, ever spoke.

<<<<..........>>>>

The scaly dragon awoke with a start, staring into Percy's eyes, confused. He flared his nostrils, looking around for danger. When he found none, he only looked sadly at the child laying on the ground before him. Percy stared back, eyes unseeing. 

Annabeth Chase sprinted up the hill, trying to reach the prone demigod before he could... no. He wouldn't die. Annabeth would make sure of that. Her Seaweed Brain wouldn't leave her.

Not like this.

Not now.

Not ever. 

She dropped to her knees, tears stinging her gray eyes. She rolled the cold body of her boyfriend over, caressing his face, permanently fixed in a sad smile. 

"Percy... Seaweed Brain! Don't- don't..." she whispered, her voice cracking.

There came no response to her wails. 

She hugged Percy, long after the light faded from his eyes. A hand touched her shoulder, but Annabeth didn't look up from her sobbing. Chiron bent down on his horse legs, and looked sadly at the hero's inanimate body. He pulled the sword out of Percy's chest carefully. 

A crowd was soon gathered around his body, but Annabeth just wanted them to all go away. She wanted to mourn her lost half without disturbances, but her hope was dashed. Pale arms hauled her to her feet, while the Daughter of Athena still cried to no end. Rachel Dare wrapped her arms around Annabeth, crying herself. Her frizzy hair touched Annabeth's skin, like rough sandpaper. 

She was dimly aware of Leo standing to the side, eyes wide with shock. Piper looked defiantly at the body, but tears were pooling in her eyes. All of the campers were heartbroken.

But none as much as Annabeth Chase.

"A shroud. We need a shroud," came Chiron's voice. 

<<<<...........>>>>

Percy opened his eyes to see himself standing in a familiar record store. A man in a decadent Italian suit looked up from his magazine with surprise. 

"Back so soon, kid?"

Tears stung Percy's eyes, horrified at what he had just done. Nothing could have prepared him for the guilt that still lay on his shoulders.

Percy nodded, and took a golden drachma out of his pocket. 

"I would like to cross the River Styx, please," he said. 

Charon shrugged. "Okay."

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Hi :) 

Did I emotionally scar you? 

I got the idea to write this when I was watching dead poets society yesterday 😭✋

Anyways that was super fun wasn't it??